By Brad Haire
University of Georgia

Take time now to check and fix any problems with your home
irrigation. There’s no guarantee afternoon showers will bring
water to your lawn when it needs it this summer.

Make sure the sprinkler heads are properly adjusted and not
spraying too far out or too close in. Look for signs of broken
risers beneath the sprinklers. Sometimes this is obvious: You’ll
have a traffic-stopping geyser. A cracked riser will allow water
to boil up around the sprinkler.

Inspect the sprinkler riser wiper seal for flow-by. A small
amount of water emitting past the wiper seal is acceptable while
the system is running. Excessive flow-by while a system is
operating indicates a damaged seal.

Many times people will replace a sprinkler because it leaks
between the wiper seal and pop-up stem after the system has
turned off. This leakage does not indicate a problem. If water
drains out after the system has turned off and eventually stops,
the valve is fine.

For spray heads with filters under the nozzle, hold the pop-up
stem and unscrew the nozzle carefully. A damaged nozzle may
result in an uneven spray pattern. A damaged pop-up stem will
result in a poorly performing wiper seal. Remove and clean the
filter.

To clean clogged nozzles, flush with water or lightly tap on a
firm surface. While the filter is out, turn on the zone and
flush out the sprinkler body. Reinstall the filter and nozzle,
turn on the zone and recheck for effective coverage. Make all of
the necessary adjustments to cover the area properly. While the
water is on, inspect the other heads in the zone for proper
operation.

To clean filters installed under the pop-up stem, unscrew the
cap from the body. Don’t allow dirt to fall into the sprinkler
body while the riser assembly and cap are removed.

The filter is at the bottom of the riser assembly. Remove it and
flush it with water. Before reinstalling the assembly, run a
small amount of water through the system to flush any debris
caught in the sprinkler body.

It’s very important that broken or poorly performing sprinkler
heads be replaced. When a specific sprinkler isn’t operating as
it’s designed or if water is flowing freely because of a worn
wiper seal, the performance of all the other heads in the zone
is affected. Water flowing unchecked past a wiper seal will
cause a loss in pressure and affect the other sprinklers’
performances.

Valve problems can be hard to fix. Check with a professional if
you think you have valve troubles.